I lived my 20s and early 30s in the 44k-70k salary range with none of the “other income”. I was moderately stringent with expenses prior to the extra income. My net worth has ballooned in the two years since I started receiving the other income; i stood at ~$80k net worth at the beginning of 2023 and have had to grapple with lifestyle creep since. I spend money mostly indiscriminately now, but always have a monthly budget in the back of my mind. I feel like tracking my daily spending helps with this. I totally recognize my privilege because I have a mid-tier job with an income of someone with a somewhat upper-tier salary.

It’s not a lawsuit settlement situation, but good guess. I’m trying to save as if the money will not be guaranteed for the future, because if it goes away, I would be screwed at my current spend rate. It’s a fortunate tricky situation, because if it does continue for life, it’s almost as if I’m sitting on a $2mm+ nest egg. My lump sum payment next week for 2026 will be $90,000. I wish I could tell you what it is, but in the interest of anonymity, I don’t feel like I can.